Tuesday January 19th, 2010
Yele Haiti
Simply open up your text messenger on your phone and text "Haiti" to the number 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross to support Haiti relief efforts, or "Quake" to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, or "Yele" to 501501 for Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation. Through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets, donating via text is the thing to do and the cool and tech-savvy way to make donations. The American Red Cross set a record of mobile donations, raising $7 million in 24 hours. That total has now reached $21 million in six days. As a comparison, $200,000 was raised via text messages for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The American Red Cross, for all charities for the whole year of 2009, received $4 million in text donations. I love what technology brings us. It's a beautiful thing.
As we enter 2010, I wanted to touch on the things I remember about 2009. It was the year of Avatar, District 9, and the Hangover (my picks for the year). Susan Boyle and Nadya "Octomom" Suleman. Tiger Wood's scandal and Michael Jackson's death. Balloon Boy, although he should be called Attic Boy since he was never in the balloon. The media frenzy with the H1N1 swine flu and the media battle over global warming (sometimes I hate the media). Obama's $787 billion Stimulus Bill and a great year in the stock market. Cash for Clunkers, $8000 first-time home buyers tax credit (woohoo!), and Bernard Madoff. Twitter mania, Bing, iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre, Motorola Droid, Windows 7, and the Kindle. Tim Tebow and Mark Ingram. And finally a failed bombing attempt on Christmas Day to keep America spending billions in the "war on terror."
It was also the year I met Leenah, started working for ARM, traveled cross country from Miami, Florida to Olympia, Washington, and started a new life in Olympia. I saw Mt Rushmore and the Badlands, traveled to New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Cambridge, England. I went scuba diving with sea lions and harbor seals. I bought a new house, bought a new car, and bought an iPhone. It was the year my grandfather died, Wylie passed away, Meredith got pregnant, Holly got pregnant (#2), Martza got pregnant, Elena got pregnant, Sook got engaged, Sam got engaged (Liggett not Thompson), Nicki got engaged, Christia Hayek was born, and Phillip got married.
What a year. I can't wait to see what happens in 2010.
As we enter 2010, I wanted to touch on the things I remember about 2009. It was the year of Avatar, District 9, and the Hangover (my picks for the year). Susan Boyle and Nadya "Octomom" Suleman. Tiger Wood's scandal and Michael Jackson's death. Balloon Boy, although he should be called Attic Boy since he was never in the balloon. The media frenzy with the H1N1 swine flu and the media battle over global warming (sometimes I hate the media). Obama's $787 billion Stimulus Bill and a great year in the stock market. Cash for Clunkers, $8000 first-time home buyers tax credit (woohoo!), and Bernard Madoff. Twitter mania, Bing, iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre, Motorola Droid, Windows 7, and the Kindle. Tim Tebow and Mark Ingram. And finally a failed bombing attempt on Christmas Day to keep America spending billions in the "war on terror."
It was also the year I met Leenah, started working for ARM, traveled cross country from Miami, Florida to Olympia, Washington, and started a new life in Olympia. I saw Mt Rushmore and the Badlands, traveled to New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Cambridge, England. I went scuba diving with sea lions and harbor seals. I bought a new house, bought a new car, and bought an iPhone. It was the year my grandfather died, Wylie passed away, Meredith got pregnant, Holly got pregnant (#2), Martza got pregnant, Elena got pregnant, Sook got engaged, Sam got engaged (Liggett not Thompson), Nicki got engaged, Christia Hayek was born, and Phillip got married.
What a year. I can't wait to see what happens in 2010.
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